Ruching device



F 9, 1937. I c. SEAMAN 2,069,856

RUCHING DEVICE Filed April 10, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY.

Feb. 9, 1937. c SEAMAN 2,069,856

RUCHING DEVICE Filed April 10, 1936 s Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENT OR.

ATTORNEY.

Feb. 9, 1937. c. SEAMAN RUCHING DEVICE Filed April 10,. 1936 3 Shepts-Sheet 3 fl/ INVENTOR. BY 1/ V y/ I /f omw.

patented Feta. 9

UNITED STATES FATENT OFFICE RUCHING DEVICE Application April 10, 1936, Serial No. 73,636

20 Claims.

This invention relates to a sewing machine or an attachment for making pleats or ruching.

An object of the invention is to provide a device for making pleats of a uniform predetermined size which may be readily controlled by suitable adjustment of the device.

' Another object is to provide a simple, convenient, efiicient and dependable device of the above type.

These objects and others which will be apparent as the nature of the invention is more fully disclosed, are accomplished by feeding a tape, with or without a base material, under a presser foot which is periodically elevated to release the material and to interrupt the feed thereof and, at the same time, continuously feeding a ruching material under an auxiliary presser foot. The tape is fed through a spring guide which acts to pull back or return the tape and the base material a predetermined amount when the feed is interrupted by elevation of the presser foot. Since the feed of the ruching material is not interrupted, the latter is caused to loop or gather into a pleat, the size of which is determined by the amount of return of the tape and the rate of feed of the ruching material. The amount of return which is effected by the spring guide is determined by the position cf an adjustable stop. The size of the pleat can accordingly be controlled by adjusting the position of the stopv and the time during which the feed of the tape is interrupted by elevation of the presser foot.

Although the novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto, the broader aspects of the invention will be better understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof, in which certain preferred embodiments of the invention are set forth for purposes of illustration.

In the drawings,

Figure l is a top plan view of the ruching device as applied to the base of a sewing machine head, with parts broken away to more clearly illustrate the details of construction;

Figure 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a broken perspective of the ruching device;

Figure 4 is a plan view of a ruching which is made by the device illustrated in Figures 1 to 3;

Figure 5 is a section of the ruching taken on the line 55 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a section similar to Figure 2, but

showing a different embodiment of the inven- Figure '7 is a detail View of the presser foot and guide shown in Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a plan view of a ruching made by the device shown in Figures 6 and '7 and Figure 9 is a section of the ruching taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 8.

In the following description and in the claims, certain specific terms are used for convenience in referring to various details of the invention. It is to be understood, however, that these terms are to be given as broad an interpretation as the state of the art will permit.

Referring to the drawings more in detail, the 1 invention is shown as applied to a sewing machine head I having a needle bar I I (Figure 2) carrying a needle l2 which is actuated by suitable driving means (not shown). The head i0 is also provided with a presser foot bar l3 carrying a main presser foot M which holds the material in driving engagement with a feed dog extending through an aperture I6 in the base I! of the sewing machine head, and is operated in the usual manner to feed the material to the needle for stitching.

The presser foot bar I3 is provided with an arm l8 engaging a cam lever l9 having a handle which is adapted to raise the presser foot I4 out of engagement with the material to permit the material to be adjusted in the machine. A spring 2i serves to hold the presser foot M in feeding position. The presser foot I4 is periodically elevated by means of a lever 22 pivoted, as at 23, to the head of the machine and carrying a pin 24 which extends through an elongated slot 25 in a link 25 attached to the arm [8. The lever 22 is driven by suitable mechanism (not shown) to periodically elevate thepresser foot l4 so as to release the pressure on the material and to interrupt or retard the feed thereof. The lever 22 may be operated in any suitable manner. One type of mechanism which may be used for actuating the same is disclosed in my Patent No. 2,025,530, dated December 24, 1935, for Shirring device. a

The ruching device comprises a plate which is attached to the base I! of the sewing machine by suitable means, such as screws 3! (Figures 1 to 3). The plate carries a block 32 to which a pair of bars 33 and 34 are secured by screws 35. A cross bar 36 joins the bars 33 and 34 near their free ends for providing a supporting frame for the guide mechanism to be described.

A resilient lever 39 is secured to the bar 33,

as by a screw 4|]. One end of this lever is bent downwardly to form an auxiliary presser foot 4| which is positioned in advance of the main presser foot I4 and cooperates with a portion of the feed dog i5 for holding the material in driving engagement therewith. The other end of the lever 39 extends over the bar 34 to provide a handle 42 to facilitate adjustment thereof.' A release lever 43 is pivoted to the bar 33 by a screw 44 and is adapted, when rotated in the direction of the arrow in Figure 1, to press against the under surface of the lever 39 for raising the auxiliary presser foot 4| from the material.

A guide member 45 is secured to a bar 46 which is slidably held in the block 32, as by an adjusting screw 41. The guide member 45 comprises a plate 48, one side of which is bent over to form a flange 49 under which the ruching material 59 is fed. A tension gate 5| maybe secured to the block 32 for applying tension to the ruching material 5!] so as toinsure the proper feeding thereof. A guide wire 52 may be attached to the bar 34 to guide the ruching material from the tensioning gate 5| to the guide member 45. From the guide member 45 the ruching material 50 passes under the auxiliary presser foot 4| in driving engagement with the feed dog I5 by which it is fed to the needle for stitching in the usual manner.

The ruching device also includes a spring guide 55 having a loo-p 56 at the end thereof which is adapted to feed a tape 51 to the main presser foot I4. The spring guide 55 is secured by screws 58 to a cover plate 59. The cover plate 59 is secured to the bar 33 by means of screws Bil and is adapted to prevent the hands of the operator from accidentally coming in contact with the various parts and interfering with the feed. The cover plate 59 also serves as a guide for the fabric or base material. The proper tension is applied to the tape 5'! by means of tension plates 64 and 65. The plate 64 may be rigidly secured to the bar 34.

* The plate 65 may be adjustably secured by means of a spring 56, the tension of which is adjusted by means of an adjusting nut 61, the arrangement being such that the tape 57 passes between the plates 64 and 65 and is held under a tension which is determined by the pressure exerted on the plate 65 by means of the spring A tape guide is adjustably mounted on the cover plate 59 by means of a screw passing through an elongated slot 12 formed on the arm 13 attached to the tape guide. The edge 14 of the tape guide which is nearest the path of the needle forms a stop to limit the amount of return of the tape in the manner to be pointed out. Suitable adjustment of the tape guide 15 may be made by means of the screw 1| and slot l2 for varying the position of the stop as required for making pleats of different sizes.

The tape 51 passes between the tension plates 54 and 65, through the spring guide 55, through the tape guide 10, over the auxiliary presser foot 4|, and under the main presser foot M by which the feed thereof is controlled. The base material 15 to which the ruching is to be stitched passes over the cover plate 59 and under the main presser foot l4 in the usual manner.

In the operation of the ruching device, the ruching material 50 is fed under the auxiliary presser foot 4| in driving engagement with the feed dog I5 and is continuously'fed to the needle for stitching. The tape 51 and the base material 15 are fed over the auxiliary presser foot 4| and under the main presserfoot l4. When the main presser foot I4 is in its lower position, the tape 51 and the base material 15 are held in driving engagement with the feed dog l5 and are fed to the needle at a rate corresponding to the rate of feed of the ruching material. While the tape 5'! is being fed in the above-mentioned manner, the tension thereof, which is controlled by the tension plates 64 and 65, causes the spring guide 55 to bend towards the needle into the position indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1. The amount of deflection of the spring guide 55 depends upon the tension of the tape 51 and the amount of feed.

During the feeding operation above described, the presser foot I4 is in feeding position. The presser foot l4, however, is periodically elevated, as, for example, by the mechanism described in the above-mentioned patent. When the presser foot I 4 is elevated, the pressure on the base material 15 and on the tape 51 is released, and the feed of the base material and tape is interrupted. When this occurs, the spring guide 55 returns to its original position, as shown in full lines in Figure l, pulling back or returning the base material and the tape until the last stitch engages the edge 14 of the tape guide 19 and is stopped thereby. During this time the ruching material 50 continues to be fed by reason of the pressure exerted thereon by the auxiliary presser foot 4|. This feeding of the ruching material and the pulling back of the tape and base materialcause the ruching material to loop and form a pleat, the size of which is determined by the position of the edge 14 of the tape guide 10 and by the amount of feed of ruching material while the presser foot I4 is thus elevated. When the presser foot is again brought into feeding position, the tape 51 and the base material 15 are fed along with the ruching and the pleat is per manently stitched to the base material.

A ruching formed in this manner is shown, for example, in Figure 4. It will be noted that the tape 5'! is positioned between the base material 15 and the ruching material 5|]. This tape serves as a strengthening means for the product. In some instances the base material 15 may be omitted, in which case the ruching is attached only to the tape 51. In this way the ruching may be made and sold to the trade separately.

'It is apparent that in the above device the tension on the tape 51 must be sufficient to actuate the spring guide 55.

The size of the pleats may be controlled by adjustingthe position of thev tape guide 19 in the manner above mentioned and by varying the timing of the actuating mechanism for the presser foot l4. It is obvious that the tape guide I9 may constitute a folder or that the tape may be prefolded before it is applied thereto if it is desired to apply the tape in more than one thickness. Furthermore, the ruching material maybe positioned in any desired relationship to the base material. It may, for example, be applied at the edge of the base material. The edge of said material may also be folded to form a hem by the 1 provision of a folder, as more fully set forth in the patent above mentioned;

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 6 and '7, the various elements, with the exception of the guide means for the tape 51, are similar to those enumerated above, and have been given the same reference characters. The

'tape 51 in this embodiment is fed to the presser foot I 4 above the base material 15. The tape is fed through the tensioning gate 30 comprising a pair of tension plates 8| held by a spring 82, the pressure of which is adjusted by an adjusting nut 83. The tension gate 89 is mounted upon a spring lever 84 which may be held by a screw 85 mounted on the top of the sewing machine head iii. A tape guide 86 is provided which is located adjacent the front of the presser foot i i and may be secured thereto. The tape guide 86 may also carry a guide loopS'l. The end 88 of the tape guide 86 forms a stop which limits the return of the tape when the pressure of the presser foot I4 is released.

In the operation of this embodiment, the spring lever 84 is deflected due to the pull of the tape 57 as the same is fed to the needle for stitching. When the pressure on the tape 57 is released by reason of elevation of the presser foot is, the spring lever 84 returns to its original position, thereby pulling back or returning the tape 5? and forming the pleat. The operation is otherwise identical with that described above. It will be noted that in this embodiment the tape 5? is secured beneath the base material it and is concealed thereby, as illustrated in Figures 8 and 9. The device can also be used to make separate ruching by omitting the base material and stitching the ruching material directly to the tape 51.

It is to be understood that suitable means may be provided for adjusting the position of the tape guide 86 with respect to the presser foot l4 so as to vary the size of the pleat. In some instances the guide 86 may be independently supported by a suitable bracket (notshown) which may be attached to the cover plate 59 in the same manner as the guide 10 of Figure 1.

Although certain preferred embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, the invention is not to be limited thereto. Various changes and modifications may be made therein as will appear to a person skilled in the art. Hence, the invention is to be limited only in accordance with the following claims when interpreted in view of the prior art.

I claim:

1. In a sewing machine, a feed dog, a presser foot to hold a first material in feeding engagement therewith, means to continuously feed a second material through said machine for stitching to said first material, means to periodically release the pressure of said presser foot on said first material for interrupting the feed thereof, and means to return the first material a predetermined amount when the feed is thus interrupted for thereby forming a fold or pleat in the second material.

2. In a sewing machine, a reciprocating needle, means to feed a first and a second material to the path of the needle for stitching, means for periodically interrupting the feed of said first material, and means to return the first material a predetermined amount when the feed is thus interrupted for thereby forming a fold or pleat in the second material.

3. In a sewing machine, a feed dog, a main presser foot to hold a first material in feeding engagement therewith, an auxiliary presser foot cooperating with a portion of the feed dog independently of the main presser foot to hold a second material in feeding engagement therewith, means to periodically release the pressure of the main presser foot on said first material for interrupting the feed theeof, and means to return the first material a predetermined amount when the feed isthus interrupted for thereby forming a fold or pleat in the second material.

4. In a sewing machine, a reciprocating needle, means to feed a first material to the path of the needle for stitching, independent means to feed a second material to the path of the needle for stitching, means to periodically release the first feed means, and means to return the first material a predetermined amount when the feed thereof is thus released for thereby forming a fold or pleat in the second material.

5. In a sewing machine, a reciprocating needle, means for continuously feeding a ruching material to the path ofthe needle for stitching, means for feeding a second material to the path of the needle for stitching, means to periodically interrupt the feed of said second material, and spring means to return the second material a predetermined amount whenthe feed isthus interrupted for thereby causing the ruching material to form in a fold or pleat.

6. In a sewing machine, a feed dog, a main presser foot to hold a first material in feeding engagement therewith, an auxiliary presser foot cooperating with a portion of the feed dog independently of the main presser foot to' hold a second material in feeding engagement therewith, a spring guide means for said first material, means whereby the feeding of said first material through said guide means causes deflection thereof, and means to periodically release the pressure of the main presser foot on said first material to interrupt the feed and to' permit the spring guide means to return to its original position thereby pulling back or returning the first material and forming a fold or pleat in the second material.

'7. In a sewing machine, a reciprocating needle, means for continuously feeding a ruching material to the path of the needle for stitching, means for feeding a second material to the path of the needle for stitching, means to periodically interrupt the feed of said second material, means to pull back or return the second material when the feed is thus interrupted, and an adjustable stop to limit the amount of said return whereby the ruching material is caused to form in a fold or pleat of a predetermined size.

8. In a sewing machine, a reciprocating needle, means for continuously feeding a ruching material to the path of the needle for stitching, means for feeding a second material to the path of the needle for stitching, means to periodically interrupt the feed of said second material, means to pull back or return said second material when the feed is thus interrupted, and a guide means through which the second material passes on its way to the needle, said guide means constituting a stop to' limit the return of the second material so as to form a fold or pleat of a predetermined size in the ruching material.

9. In a sewing machine, a reciprocating needle, means for continuously feeding a ruching material to the path of the needle for stitching, means for feeding a second material to the path of the needle for stitching, means to periodically interrupt the feed of said second material, means to pull back or return the second material when the feed is thus interrupted. and a guide means through which the second material passes on its way to the needle, said guide means being posiiii tioned to engage the last stitch and limit the interrupt the feed and to permit the spring guide return of the second material so as to form a fold or pleat of a predetermined size in the ruching material.

10. In a sewing machine, a reciprocating needle, means for continuously feeding a ruching material to the path of the needle for stitching,

means for feeding a second material to the path of the needle for stitching, means to periodically interrupt the feed of said second material, means to hold said second material under a pre determined tension, and a spring member actuated by said second material in response to the feeding movement thereof, said spring member being arranged to pull back or return said second material a predetermined amount when the feed thereof is interrupted.

11. In a sewing machine, a reciprocating needle, means to feed a ruching material to the path of the needle for stitching, independent means to feed a base material and a tape to the path of the needle for stitching the same to the ruching material, means to periodically release the last feed means, and means cooperating with the tape to returnthe tape and base material a predetermined amount when the feed thereof is thus released for thereby forming a fold or pleat in the ruching material.

12. An attachment for a sewing machine having a reciprocating needle and means to feed a first and a second material to the path of the needle for stitching, said attachment having means for periodically interrupting the feed 'of said first material, and means to return the first material a predetermined amount when the feed is thus interrupted for thereby forming a fold or pleat in the second material.

- 13. An attachment for a sewing machine having a feed dog and a main presser foot to hold a first material in feeding engagement therewith, said attachment comprising an auxiliary presser foot cooperating with a portion of the feed dog independently of the main presser foot to hold a second material in feeding engagement therewith, means to periodically release the pressure of the main press-er foot on said first material for interrupting the feed thereof, and means to return the first material a predetermined amount when the feed is thus interrupted for thereby forming a fold or pleat in the second material.

14. An attachment for a sewing machine having a reciprocating needle and means for continuously feeding a ruching material to the path of the needle for stitching, said attachment comprising means for feeding a second material to the path of the needle for stitching, means to periodically interrupt the feed of said second material, and spring means to return the second material a predetermined amount when the feed is thus interrupted for thereby causing the ruching material to form in a fold or pleat.

15. An attachment for a sewing machine having a feed dog and a main presser foot to hold a first material in feeding engagement therewith, said attachment comprising an auxiliary presser foot cooperating with a portion of the feed dog independently of the main presser foot to hold a second material in feeding engagement therewith, a spring guide means for said first material, means whereby the feeding of saidfirst material through said guide means causes deflection therea of, and means to periodically release the pressure of the main presser foot on said first material to means to return to its original position thereby pulling back or returning the first material and forming a fold or pleat in the second material.

16. An attachment for a sewing machine having a reciprocating needle and means for continuously feeding a ruching material to the path of the needle for stitching, said attachment comprising means for feeding a second material to the path of the needle for stitching, means to periodically interrupt the feed of said second material, means to pull back or return the second material when the feed is thus interrupted, and an adjustable stop to limit the amount of said return whereby the ruching material is caused to form in a fold or pleat of a predetermined size.

17. An attachment for a sewing machine having a reciprocating needle and means for continuously feeding a ruching material to the path of the needle for stitching, said attachment comprising means for feeding a second material to the path of the needle for stitching, means to periodically interrupt the feed of said second material, means to pull back or return said comprising means for feeding a second material to the path of the needle for stitching, means to periodically interrupt the feed of said second material, second material when the feed is thus interrupted, and a guide means through which the second material passes on its way tothe needle, said guide means being positioned to engage the last stitch and limit the return of the second material so as to form a fold or pleat of a predetermined size in the ruching material.

19. An attachment for a sewing machine having a reciprocating needle and means for continuously feeding a ruching material to the path of the needle for stitching, said attachment comprising means for feeding a second material to the path of the needle for stitching, means to means to pull back or return the periodically interrupt the feed of said second material, means to hold said second material under a predetermined tension, and a spring member actuated by said second material in response to the feeding movement thereof, said spring member being arranged to pull back or return said second material a predetermined amount when the feed thereof is interrupted.

20. The method of making a ruching which comprises continuously feeding a ruching material to a needle for stitching, feeding a second material to the needle for stitching to the first material, periodically interrupting the feed of the second material, and pulling back the second material a predetermined amount when the feed is thus interrupted so as to form a fold or pleat of predetermined size in the first material. 

